I say run guys run. Besides, every day they spend in an expensive hotel here is a boost for the local economy :)
Andy Ousterhout writes: > Ahh, the brilliance of our forefathers....Helps prevent the majority from > railroading the minority I guess. In which case, it is as legal as the > majority controlling the redistricting.... > > Pass out the popcorn, lets watch TX and CA reality TV. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kevin Graeme [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, August 22, 2003 8:09 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: Emergency: Democracy under attack in Texas > > > Yes, but the quorum loophole is a perfectly legal part of the process too. > Considering that, it's actually laudable how infrequently it gets used. > > -Kevin > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Andy Ousterhout" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, August 22, 2003 6:58 AM > Subject: RE: Emergency: Democracy under attack in Texas > > > > Sandy, > > > > This deserves our mirth, not attention or money. This is one of the > oldest > > tricks in the book. Democrats in Illinois did it a few years back and > > gained several seats in both houses, as I remember. Republicans did not > run > > and hide, because what they did was perfectly legal, as supported by the > > State Supreme Court. And you should see the shape of some of the > districts! > > So this is NOT democracy under attack. It is democracy at work and the > > democrats in Texas, not liking when it goes against them, are fighting in, > > IMHO, an inappropriate fashion. What would be the state of our democracy > if > > EVERY group of politicians decided NOT to show up when they disagreed? > > > > This is exactly the same thing crap that went on in Florida and still has > > the dems crying(and you can really hear their tears of righteousness when > > they pulled the same illegal BS in New Jersey). When it works for the > > democrats it is great. When they get creamed by the same tactic, it is > > un-American and a right wing plot to take over the world. I am so tired > of > > their two-faced BS. > > > > In summary, it is just a butch of cry babies throwing a temper tantrum > when > > their God-given right (but wait, they don't believe in God in Government?) > > to govern is challenged. > > > > Oh, I feel sooo much better now. Time to go out for a run. > > > > Andy > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Sandy Clark [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 6:01 PM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: FW: Emergency: Democracy under attack in Texas > > > > > > I don't normally pass this stuff on, but I think this one deserves some > > attention. However I have to warn you that their donation page is not > > secure. I am currently getting information on how to donate via PayPal and > > will be glad to pass that on to those who want the information off list. > > > > Sandy > > > > From: Zack <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Exley, MoveOn.org > > To: > > Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 6:04 PM > > Subject: Emergency: Democracy under attack in Texas > > > > Dear MoveOn member, > > > > Impeachment. The 2000 Election. The California Recall. The pattern is > > becoming clear: there's a group of men in power who will do anything to > > consolidate that power, including undermining our democratic institutions. > > We've got to fight back. In Texas, they are fighting back. And while the > > world is focusing on the California mess, they are fighting alone. They > need > > our help. > > > > A partisan plan pushed by Karl Rove and Tom Delay will redistrict up to 7 > > Democrats out of Congress. Right now, 11 Democratic State Senators are > > hiding across state lines -- with the Texas Governor calling for their > > arrest -- to prevent this illegitimate plan from being strong-armed into > > law. They have put their reputations and careers on the line for all of > us. > > A letter below from State Senator Rodney Ellis explains the situation in > > detail. Please read it, and then please help us launch a hard-hitting ad > > campaign to fight back in Texas. Whether you donate $5 or $5000, you will > be > > helping to hold accountable reckless leaders who think they can get away > > with anything. Please contribute to this effort now: > > > > http://moveon.org/texasads > > <http://moveon.org/texasads?id=1595-2240002-M3WjX6jzxSCzgvKUUyXKeA> > > > > The Texas special session that was called to gerrymander the Texas > > congressional districts ends early next week, and the pressure is > building. > > These courageous leaders need to see real support now, or they won't be > able > > to hold out. > > > > Our numbers our great enough now to fight back effectively against these > > attacks on democracy. Please get even more people involved by forwarding > > this email to everyone you think would like to help. > > > > Thanks, > > > > --Zack and Wes > > MoveOn.org PAC > > August 20th, 2003 > > > > Below is the letter from State Senator Rodney Ellis. > > ___________________ > > August 18, 2003 > > > > Dear friends, > > > > I am writing to you from a hotel room in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I > > and 10 of my colleagues in the Texas Senate have been forced to reside for > > the past 20 days. If we return to our homes, families, friends, and > > constituents, the Governor of Texas will have us arrested. > > > > I know, it sounds more like a banana republic than the dignified democracy > > on which we have long prided ourselves. We are effectively exiled from the > > state due to our unalterable opposition to a Republican effort -- pushed > by > > Tom Delay and Karl Rove, and led by Texas Governor Rick Perry -- that > would > > rewrite the map of Texas Congressional districts in order to elect at > least > > 5 more Republicans to Congress. > > > > You may not have heard much about the current breakdown in Texas politics. > > The Republican power play in California has obscured the Republican power > > play in Texas that has forced my colleagues and me to leave the state. > > > > Recognizing that public pressure is the only thing that can break the > > current stalemate, our friends at MoveOn have offered to support our > efforts > > by sharing this email with you. In it, you will find: > > > > * Background information on how the situation in Texas developed; > > > > * Analysis of what's at stake for Democrats and the democratic > > process; and > > > > * How you can help by contacting Texas politicians, signing our > > petition, contributing funds, and forwarding this email! > > > > The Republican redistricting effort shatters the tradition of performing > > redistricting only once a decade immediately after the Census -- making > > redistricting a perpetual partisan process. It elevates partisan politics > > above minority voting rights, in contravention of the federal Voting > Rights > > Act. It intends to decimate the Democratic party in Texas, and lock in a > > Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. And Republican > > efforts to force a vote on this issue by changing the rules of legislative > > procedure threaten to undermine the rule of law in Texas. > > > > We do not take lightly our decision to leave the state. It was the only > > means left to us under the rules of procedure in Texas to block this > > injustice. We are fighting for our principles and beliefs, and we can win > > this fight with your support. > > > > Sincerely, > > > > Rodney Ellis > > Texas State Senator (Houston) > > > > Background > > > > During the 2001 session of the Texas Legislature, the legislature was > unable > > to pass a Congressional redistricting plan as it is required to do > following > > the decennial Census. A three judge federal panel was forced to draw the > > plan. Neither Governor Rick Perry or then Attorney General John Cornyn, > both > > Republicans, objected to the plan, which was reviewed and approved by the > > U.S. Supreme Court. > > > > The 2002 Congressional elections, the first held under the new > redistricting > > plan, resulted in a Congressional delegation from Texas consisting of 17 > > Democrats and 15 Republicans. However, five of the 17 Democrats prevailed > > only because they were able to win the support of Republican and > independent > > voters. All statewide Republican candidates carried these five districts. > > Most experts agree that the current plan has 20 strong or leaning > Republican > > districts and 12 Democratic districts. > > > > Meanwhile, the 2001 redistricting of Texas legislative seats (which was > > enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislative Redistricting Board, > after > > the legislature again gridlocked in its efforts) resulted in wide > Republican > > majorities in both the Texas House and Texas Senate. Now Tom Delay has > made > > it his priority to force the Republican-controlled Legislature to enact a > > new redistricting plan to increase the number of Republican-leaning > > Congressional districts. Republicans believe they can manipulate the > > districts to elect as many as 22 Republicans out of the 32 member Texas > > Congressional delegation. They achieve this by packing minority voters > into > > as few districts as possible and breaking apart rural districts so that > the > > impact of independent voters will be reduced and suburban Republican > voters > > will dominate. > > > > During the regular session of the Texas Legislature, Democratic members of > > the Texas House of Representatives exercised an unprecedented > parliamentary > > move to prevent the House from passing Tom Delay's redistricting plan. > While > > Democrats are in the minority of the House of Representatives, the state > > constitution requires that at least 2/3 of the House be present for the > > House to pass a bill. Because it was clear that the Republicans would > > entertain no debate and brook no compromise in their effort to rewrite the > > rules by which members of Congress are elected, the Democrats were forced > to > > break the quorum to prevent the bill from passing. Because the Republican > > Speaker of the House and Governor called on state law enforcement > officials > > to physically compel the Democrats to return, the lawmakers removed > > themselves to a Holiday Inn in Ardmore, Oklahoma -- outside the reach of > > state troops(1). In there effort to apprehend the Democrats, Tom Delay > > officially sought the hel! p of the Department of Homeland Security, the > > Department of Transportation and the Department of Justice. > > > > The House Democrats (nicknamed the "Killer D's", based on an earlier > episode > > in Texas history in which a group of Democratic state senators called the > > "Killer Bees" broke the quorum in the Senate over a similarly political > > stalemate) succeeded in stopping Delay's redistricting plan during the > > regular session, returning to Texas after the legislative deadline had > > expired for the House to pass legislation. However, because the Texas > > Legislature meets in regular session only every two years, the state > > constitution gives the Governor the power to call a 30-day special > > legislative session at any time between regular sessions. Despite > statewide > > protests from Texas citizens who oppose Tom Delay's redistricting plan, > the > > Governor has called two special sessions(2) already this summer to attempt > > to force the legislature to enact a new plan. > > > > The first called session expired in a deadlock, as 12 of 31 Texas > > Senators(3) opposed the plan. Under Senate rules and tradition, a 2/3 vote > > is required to consider any bill on the floor of the Senate, giving 11 > > Senators the power to block a vote(4). The Republican Governor and > > Lieutenant Governor then determined they would do away with the 2/3 rule, > > and called another special session, forcing 11 Democratic Senators to > break > > the quorum and leave the state.(5) These Senators have spent the past 22 > > days in Albuquerque, New Mexico. > > > > The Governor has indicated he will continue calling special sessions until > > the Republican redistricting plan is enacted, despite the fact that the > > Republican-controlled Texas Supreme Court recently rejected the Governor's > > writ of mandamus filing to compel the Senators to return to the Senate. > > Meanwhile, eleven Democratic state senators are exiled from their state, > > unable to be with their families, friends, and constituents, for fear of > > being arrested as part of a partisan power play by Republicans. In the > most > > recent indignity, Republican Senators voted to fine the absent Democrats > up > > to $5,000 per day, and to revoke parking and other privileges for their > > staffs as long as the Senators are away. > > > > What's at stake > > > > At stake, on the surface, is whether Tom Delay will succeed in exploiting > > Republican control of the Texas Legislature to add to the Republican > > majority in the United States Congress. But deeper issues are also at > stake. > > > > > > * If the Republicans succeed in redrawing the Texas Congressional > > lines to guarantee the election of five to seven more Republicans, it will > > ensure that Republicans hold the majority in the U.S. House of > > Representatives for the entire decade and will likely result in Tom Delay > > becoming Speaker of the House.(6) > > > > * The Republican advantage would be gained by removing many African > > American and Hispanic voters from their current Congressional districts > and > > "packing" them into a few districts that already have Democratic > majorities. > > The voting power of these minority voters would be dramatically diluted by > > the Republican plan, in contravention of the federal Voting Rights Act. If > > the Republicans succeed, over 1.4 million African American and Hispanic > > voters will be harmed. It would be the largest disenfranchisement of > > minority voters since the Voting Rights Act was passed. > > > > * Redistricting exists for the purpose of reapportioning voters among > > political districts to account for population shifts. The purpose of this > > reapportionment is to ensure a roughly equal number of voters in each > > district, to preserve the principle of "one man, one vote."(7) For this > > reason, redistricting has always been conducted immediately following the > > U.S. Census' decennial population reports. Tom Delay now proposes a new > > redistricting plan two years after the Census report simply because > > Republicans gained control over the Texas Legislature in 2002 and now have > > the power to enact a much more Republican-friendly plan than the one drawn > > by the federal courts two years ago. This is an unprecedented approach to > > redistricting, one that subordinates its original purpose of ensuring the > > principle of "one man, one vote" to the purpose of perpetual partisan > > politics. Redistricting, in this model, would never be a settled matter, > and > > districts would constantly be in fl! ux depending on the balance of > > political power in the Legislature. > > > > * The Texas Legislature has traditionally been defined by a spirit of > > bipartisanship and cooperation. This issue has polarized the legislature > in > > a way that threatens to destroy that tradition. The Republicans have > > effectively exiled their Democratic counterparts in a power play that > makes > > our state look more like a banana republic than a dignified democracy. The > > arbitrary decision to discard the 2/3 rule in the Senate sets a precedent > > that undermines that body's tradition of consensus and cooperation. The > > deployment of state law enforcement officials to apprehend boycotting > > legislators erodes the separation of powers between the executive and > > legislative branches of government, and diminishes legislators' ability to > > represent their constituents as they see fit. The unilateral Republican > > effort to penalize Democratic Senators and their staffs > > > > What is needed > > > > The Democratic Senators currently in Albuquerque have two critical needs. > > The first is to generate increased public awareness of the situation. By > all > > reason, every day the Senators are out of the state this story should get > > bigger. Instead, news media have gradually lost interest in the story. The > > California recall has dominated the attention of the national media, and > the > > Texas media has largely lost interest in the story -- out of sight, out of > > mind. Without public attention to this story, the Republicans have all the > > leverage -- if it does not cost them politically, it costs them nothing(8) > > to continue calling special sessions until the Texas 11 are forced to come > > home. > > > > The second critical need is funding. The cost of hotels, meeting rooms, > > staff support, and public relations efforts is mounting. In addition, the > > Senators must defend themselves legally against Republican efforts to > compel > > their return, while also filing legal claims against the Republican power > > play. The Senators are actively raising money for the Texas Senate > > Democratic Caucus Fund to offset these costs and prepare themselves for a > > stay of indefinite duration in Albuquerque. > > > > Notes > > > > 1. A recent Department of Justice investigation chronicled Republican > state > > officials' illegal attempts to use federal resources -- including > > anti-terrorism resources from the Department of Homeland Security -- to > > compel the Democratic lawmakers' return. See > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51520-2003Aug12.html for a > > news report on the Justice Department investigation, or > > http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/03-08a/final.pdf for a copy of the > complete > > Justice Department report. > > 2. At a cost to taxpayers of over $1.5 million per session. > > 3. House Republicans passed a redistricting bill in the special session > > despite an outpouring of public opposition in hearings across the state. > All > > 12 Democratic state senators opposed the plan, along with Republican state > > senator (and former Lieutenant Governor) Bill Ratliff. > > 4. The "2/3 rule" requires the Senate to reach broader consensus on > > difficult issues than a simple majority vote. It is a combination of > > official Senate rules and tradition. The rules of the Senate require a 2/3 > > vote to suspend the "regular order of business" to consider a bill that is > > not the first bill on the Senate calendar. By tradition, the Senate has > > always placed a "blocker bill" at the top of the Senate calendar, so that > > every bill requires a suspension of the regular order of business to be > > considered. The process requires compromise and consensus to achieve a 2/3 > > majority on each bill. One Texas insider has said that the 2/3 rule is > "what > > separates us from animals." > > 5. In fact, the Governor and Lt. Governor attempted to "surprise" the > > Senators by calling the second special one day early and "trap" them in > the > > Senate Chamber. The Senators were able to escape the Capitol with > literally > > minutes to spare. > > 6. Republican party activist Grover Norquist, head of the Washington > > D.C.-based Americans for Tax Reform, was quoted as follows in the August > 17 > > Fort Worth Star Telegram: "Republicans will hold the House for the next > > decade through 2012 if Texas redistricts.It depresses the hell out of the > > Democrats and makes it doubly impossible to take the House and probably > > depresses their fund raising.Anything that helps strengthen the Republican > > leadership helps DeLay become speaker someday if he wants it." > > 7. Established in the landmark case Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (1962) > > 8. Notwithstanding the millions of dollars it is costing taxpayers. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm?link=t:5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm?link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com
